N Balindlela: Mid Year Lekgotla

12 August 2007

Programme Director
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the District Council
Members of the NCOP
Departmental Officials
Ladies and gentlemen

Introduction and background

"The reports, both of the province and the district, are very good
reports….But there is a need to identify at least three governance and
administration challenges and practical solutions" President Mbeki
(Stakeholders Meeting at Presidential Imbizo, Ukhahlamba District, 11 August
2007). The province has just come out of celebrating a successful Women's Day
and hosting the Presidential Imbizo programme in the Ukhahlamba District. From
the latter, we have heard the challenges facing the communities we serve. These
include:

* poverty and unemployment
* housing challenges – from not enough provision of housing, unlawful
occupation of houses to poor workmanship in some of the houses provided to the
communities
* challenges with our education system, particularly the lack of feeding
schemes and the poor state of some classrooms, amongst others
* access to various services including health care, grants, documentation like
IDs, etc.

Having said that, together with the President of the Republic of South
Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and our government displayed the huge strides and progress
made towards service delivery, to ensure a better life for all. It remains
clear that this government needs to accelerate service delivery. Having heard
the challenges raised at the Izimbizos, I would like us to fulfil the promises
we made and ensure we are seen to be swiftly attending and resolving the
challenges outlined. We have already emerged with some proposed solutions to
some of the challenges raised by the various stakeholders. Ndicela ke
siyitshaye isaqhuma and quickly yet strategically implement those
solutions.

Strategic outlook for the province – Accelerating service delivery

We have done enough talking and listening over the past few days. Today I
would like us to focus on:

* reviewing our strategic objectives
* reprioritisation of our strategic objectives
* in order to come out with a clear Implementation plan that will ensure we
work in synergy and collaboration, as one team cutting across all spheres of
government, united in purpose and vision.

Programme Director, we have had the benefit of the last six months to do
what we set out to do in the State of the province. The last six months is
about visible problem solving to ensure accelerated service delivery through
concerted focus on -ixingephi in our strategic implementation plan. Among
issues to consider in this Lekgotla are the Top 10 joint inter-governmental
implementation projects. May I take this opportunity to extend the challenge
the President has outlined. The President said what are the three critical
challenges and solutions in governance and administration? I am adding, what
are the three critical challenges and solutions in social and economic
clusters?

The 10th challenge from my office as Premier is (the Honourable Premier to
add). I have already said on radio and in various public forums that from next
week we will be working towards resolving the service delivery challenges
communities, business and various stakeholders outlined. I remain committed to
this pledge. The administrators of the province need to provide us – as
political leadership - with a well-planned and integrated implementation
roadmap with roles for all spheres of government, communities, civil society
organisations, business and all our stakeholders. Let us make real government's
pledge to build partnerships for a better life for all - through action and
more action towards accelerated service delivery.

This is my challenge to all of us –Apha size kulungisa imicimbi ebalulekile
yePondo. Masiphume apha sisithi nazi izinto ezilishumi esizakuzenza ukususela
ngoku. I am not proposing new areas of focus. Ndithi kwezinto eziyi priorities
kakade, izinto ezihambelana neHIPPs ne PDGP ezidibanise ifeedback esiyivilelo
kubahlali xa uMongameli ebetyelele u Khahlamba.

Recap of challenges and proposed solutions

Kulomba we development and integration of growth and development initiatives
– we already have a solution in the proposal that the province should lead in
establishing development agencies in districts starting with the Ukhahlamba
Development Agency. Nimvile no Minister Pahad esithi integrated planning and
delivery in relation to how our programmes and interventions on women
empowerment do not seem to be in synergy to issues of disabled persons, the
youth, etc. The challenge of integrated planning is critical not only for the
Department but for the Province and Districts at large. Niyayiqonda bethu kodwa
ukuba eziprojects sizenza sili Pondo. Ndicela ke siqhube ngalendlela because
this way we make real the commitment of co-operative government across all
spheres.

Stakeholder involvement is critical kuba singuhulumente asizukwazi ukweza
yonke into sodwa. Nisivile isithethi seCivil Society Organisations (CSOs) sithi
sicela ukubambisana nogulumente ukuze iprojects ezenziwayo zibe ne community
ownership. Sinintsi istakeholder zethu, kwi business, kubahlali, njalonjalo.
Ndingavuya ke bethu xa kubonakala sisebenzisana nazo. Let the provincial
administration lead in the building of these partnerships.

The successes we have outlined in the state of the Province report – ndicela
nisebenzisane noProvincial Communications azokwazi ukuzi-profile kucace ukuba
siyasebenza kweliPondo. Okokugqibela ke Mhlali ngaphambili, the Top 10
challenges and solutions, three per Cluster, masiphume siziphethe xa
sizakubuyela ezindaweni zethu ezohlukile. This is the outcome of the lekgotla
we would like to see. Masithi ke bethu si announcer kwi post-Lekgotla press
briefing, sithi nazi izinto esizakuzenza xa siphuma apha kude kuphele
unyaka-mali.

Programme Director, may I take this opportunity to commend all of us for a
job well done in hosting the Women's Day commemorations and the Presidential
Imbizo. Thank you to all the departments for their support and to the
uKhahlamba District Municipality ngegalelo labo. Bethu lithi elam –
Makusetshenzwe.

Enkosi

Issued by: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
12 August 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)